Educational programs help learning disabled succeed in college WITH VIDEO

Emily Hersch, an Oakland Community College student, talks with seniors from Eton Academy of Birmingham about how students with learning disabilities can succeed in college at OCC's Orchard Ridge Campus in Farmington Hills. The Oakland Press/Vaughn Gurganian

Nationwide, only 10 percent of students who have learning disabilities go to college because they think they can't do the work.

What they don't realize is that many universities and colleges provide special programs and/or services for students who have learning differences, said Tom Hoff, alumni and college guidance manager at Eton Academy in Birmingham that specializes in teaching students with learning disabilities, such as dyslexia or attention deficit disorder.

Even though Eton is a private school, the school often shares with parents and students from other schools, such as opening its research library to all parents of children with learning disabilities.

The same is true for the Eton "Life After High School College Fair," which is planned for 6:30 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 14, and is opened at no cost to any student and parent from any school.

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Colleges offer support

Eton's College Fair will feature representatives of many universities, colleges and other programs that provide special services or programs for students with learning disabilities.

"Kids don't really realize their potential and what they are actually capable of what they can do," Hoff said, explaining why some students don't go on to college.

"Some colleges have programs (specifically) for kids with learning differences, and all colleges have special service centers within their college that provides services and accommodations for kids who have a documented learning disability," Hoff said.

In selecting a college, Hoff stresses that students and parents ensure -- before enrolling -- that programs and services offered will be the best fit for the students' needs.

According to a report in USA Today, "Nearly nine out of 10 of the nation's two- and four-year colleges enroll students with disabilities, and of the 86 percent of those that enroll students with learning disabilities, only 24 percent say they can help disabled students "to a major extent."

Only a few small private colleges, such as Beacon in Florida and Landmark in Vermont, specialize in educating students with learning disabilities.

Once students have enrolled, they need to take the responsibility of seeking the services available; and even demand they be provided, Hoff said.

"We stress kids are self-advocates," Hoff said. "That they have strength and weaknesses and they should focus on their strengths."

OCC's BOLD Project

Eton students often turn to Oakland Community College, which offers a special program called Project BOLD that is a therapeutic educational program designed to assist college students diagnosed with neurologically-based learning disorders in learning strategies to handle college-level work, said George Cartsonis, OCC spokesman.

Eton alumnus Emily Hersch is an OCC student who has been part of OCC's Project BOLD and plans to transfer to a four-year-college next year when she completes her work at OCC.

Hersch provided tips and advice to potential students from Eton this week when they came for a tour of OCC.

Project BOLD was founded at OCC's Orchard Ridge Campus in 1986 by retired counselor Larry Gage in cooperation with Michigan Rehabilitation Services and the Beaumont Center for Human Development, he said.

The center teaches students strategies that helps them manage college work. Many graduates who have used the BOLD program have gone on to great success, Cartsonis said.

For example, OCC's Outstanding Alumnus for 2007, Dr. Robert Reid of Beaumont Hospital graduated from OCC with the assistance offered by Project BOLD and credits the program with his success, Cartsonis said.

In addition, OCC's ACCESS program offers services to students who have documented disabilities. Services include intense tutoring and accommodations in the classrooms, such as help taking notes or getting more time to take tests, said Dale Rohrbach, coordinator of ACCESS at OCC's Orchard Ridge Campus in Farmington Hills.

OCC also has an Academic Support Center, where any OCC student can get free tutoring and writing sessions, Rohrbach said.

Students need to seek out services

Rohrbach and Robert Spann often host groups from Eton and special education groups from other high schools in the area, said Rohrbach.

"I focus on transition to college for folks with learning disabilities as they begin to navigate the adult world and requirements and the self-advocacy and self-awareness and initiative that is required at that level," he said, noting expectations are much different than high school.

"One of the things we can't do for them is seek them out. Students who don't take the initiative don't get the supports," Rohrbach said.

"What is rewarding about doing work like this is being able to see students who have a documented need grow and make progress toward an appropriate goal; that's incredibly rewarding," Rohrbach said.

Other schools that provide services

A representative from Oakland University visited the Eton campus this week. OU provides a variety of services to students with learning disabilities who meet requirements for admission.

Hoff points out that Eton's 2012 graduates have been accepted at or are attending the following schools, where supportive services or programs are provided: Oakland Community College, Schoolcraft College, Washtenaw Community College, Lake Superior State University, Grand Valley State University, Western Michigan University, Eastern Michigan University, Wayne State University, University of Greenwich in England, Indiana University, Columbia College in Chicago, Temple University in Philadelphia, Muhlenberg College in Pennsylvania, Goucher College in Baltimore, Binghamton University in New York, University at Albany University of Massachusetts Amherst and Syracuse University.